The Pirates Week

Hello everyone, welcome to another Anywhere with Choi. Today I’m going to take you with me to The Pirates Week Festival 2019.

I’m not sure if we are going to have it this year, hopefully we do, but with all that’s going on around the world I doubt it. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and let’s appreciate Cayman Islands once more in this national festival.

What is Pirates Week?

It is a week long celebration of Cayman’s pirate folklore and culture. It is a ten fun filled days of music, street dances, competitions, games, food festivals of traditional dishes and drinks, a Pirate Pooch Parade, a children’s fun day, teen dances, two glittering parades, sporting events for all ages, a pirate invasion and spectacular fireworks displays. The festivities are celebrated in all three islands and starts with Little Cayman. It happens during the first week of November.

📍Pirates Week Office, #10 Shedden Road, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
☎️ +1(345) 949-5859 or +1(345) 949-5078
📧 info@piratesweekfestival.com

At the main event, there will be a “role play” where pirates invade the island, and everyone is welcome to join as long as you have a costume. The locals call it “the landing”. I joined the boat cruise and landing last year.  The pirate ship will cruise around for an hour before formally landing at the George Town Harbour at 3pm. The pirates will then capture the Governor at the Cayman Islands Museum 2nd floor and ‘run amok’ before being cast off back to sea again, for another year.

Thousands of locals and tourists line in the streets to watch the whole event as it is the only one of its kind in the Caribbean.

The float parade that occurs after the pirate’s landing is one of the main events people look forward to. During the float parade, each districts have their own entry that best represents the theme. It is a competition and the best float and marching band dancing to Caribbean music has a prize. The main purpose of this is to spread awareness around a certain cause, and each year is different. Last years was about saving Cayman waters from pollution.

At night when the parade is over, the pirates start drinking and you can spot them walking in the streets. This view is not surprising at all!

If you are planning to visit Caribbean or Cayman Islands in particular, I suggest coming in May for the Batabano Festival or November for the Pirates Week. This way you would make the most out of your trip by not only enjoying the beach but also taking part in these amazing national events.

All photos in this post are from me^^